Formulating from strong beliefs, Vastu is a set of principles that most of the homeowners believe in. Vastu is a tool which helps them to lead a blissful life. General guidelines from Vastu provide scientific explanations on how to design a house in order to bring positive energy around the family. 

According to Vastu, the most important part of a house is the main entrance, as the main entrance is known as the mouth of the house which brings the right kind of energy levels within the house.

As per Vastu, the right place for the kitchen is the South-east direction. And hence, we must avoid having a kitchen in the north or north-east direction, as the kitchen is known as the symbol of prosperity so its placing in the wrong direction may bring financial as well as health problems.

Frequently asked questions about Vastu

In what order, construction of a house should begin? What are the religious activities involved during the inception of construction?

The start of construction should be from digging a pit in the North-East direction of the plot. This pit can be used for the purpose of foundation and vastu poojan ceremony. The religious faith associated with this ceremony is to put a pair of Nag-Nagin inside this pit. As per ancient Hindu belief, the load of earth is balanced on Shesh-Nag. A pair of Nag-Nagin below foundation keeps the load and balance of building uniform and protects it from earthquake and any other natural disaster. This pit can also be used for the underground water storage, tube well or water boring. The idea is that North-East should be a deep and watery zone. The logging of bricks should start from South to North and from West to East. It is always beneficial to first make compound walls all along the plot, only after that the main structure of building should start.

What kind of plants should i keep in a house?

All thorny plants give rise to tension in the environment. The sharpness of thorny plants is nature’s device of emitting negative currents; The negative effect of thorny plants like cactus can be drastically curtailed by keeping Tulsi plants close by. Tulsi has an exquisite quality of neutralizing negative currents and spreading health in the environment. Tulsi should be best placed in North-East or Brahmasthan of a house.

Where should be the position of garage in a house?

The most suitable zone for garage in a house is North-West zone i.e. Vayavya. Alternatively, it can be made in South-East. The precaution should be taken that garage shouldn’t touch the compound wall of the plot or the walls of the main building. Always avoid having a garage in the Southwest zone as it will result in a frequent breakdown of the vehicle. If portico is used for parking then it should be North, East or North East. Portico should be 1′ to 2′ below the roof level of the main building. A vehicle should face North or East, when parked.

Where should one place a toilet in a house?

The ideal location for a toilet in a house is West, North-North West or South. Always avoid corner toilets i.e. in North- East, South-East, North-West or South-West. Toilet in the North-East direction is the worst. While performing daily activity in the toilet, never sit facing East or West or in other words W.C. should be North-South axis. The flooring level of a toilet should be higher than the rest of the floor. Never make a toilet in front of the kitchen.

I want to make a basement in my house. Which is the best direction for basements? Can I have a basement in the whole structure of the house?

The whole structure shouldn’t have a basement, only Eastern & Northern part should be used. Heavy goods can be kept in south and west. The preferred directions for basement are East, North & North- East. If the boring or water storage arrangement can be done in the North-East corner of a North-East basement, it is very beneficial. A basement in South West is the worst.

I want to paint my house in a different color. Can you give me some vastu tips regarding the color?

Use flashy white in the North-East zone of the house. Apply pink or Reddish brown in South-East zone. Paint North-West corner of your house in blue or light blue color. Use yellow in South-West zone of the house. Paint the ceiling of the whole house in white color.

What is the significance of the squared circle in ancient Indian architecture?

Square represents Earth and Circle represent Heaven. When these two shapes are unified by being made equal in area or perimeter it is called squared circle, meaning earth and heaven or matter and spirit, symbolically combined.

What are the 16 directions. Will you please classify and list them?

As we mentioned earlier, Vastu is the science of the orientation of direction. The 16 directions as per vastu are classified & listed below: Cardinal Directions: North, South, East and West. Diagonal Directions: North East (Eashyana), South East (Aagneya), South-West (Nairthuya), North West (Vyavaya) Sub-Diagonal Directions: North-North East, East-North East, East-South East, South-South East, South-South West, West-South West, West-North West, North-North West.

How can one check the directions of one’s plot/ house? Is checking the direction of sunrise good enough? Also, where should one stand to fix the direction i.e. inside or outside of house?

The first step to do any vastu evaluation is to identify and fix all the directions. A rough identification of directions can be done by sunrise direction as the sun rises in East and sets in West via south. But if identification is based on sunrise direction there is a chance of mistake. There is a sizeable difference between sunrise position on June 21 and December 22, the longest and shortest day respectively. The sun rises on true east only on the days of equinox which are September 23 and March 21. On these days the day and night are equal. The best way to fix the directions is by using a magnetic compass. There are two types of compasses. One is a floating disc compass and another is a pivotal needle compass. To check the direction, always stand at the center of plot / house i.e. naval point of vastu purusha. This way you can correctly position the diagonal directions also.